The present invention relates to software applications that display images of physical objects from a finite number of angles, and more particularly to a method for increasing the amount of rotation as well as sharpening the image displayed.
In addition the present invention relates to software applications that display 3d numeric models, and more particularly to a method for increasing the realism or quality displayed to the user.
Internet multi-media viewers, such as Quicktime from Apple Computer, provide the experience of rotating a physical object by allowing a user to control which view, of a finite number of views taken from different angles, is to be displayed. Typically, the user will select the rotation mode then press and drag within the application.
Dragging horizontally displays a sequence of views of the object from angles where the value of the longitude coordinate varies. If there is enough data for 360 degree rotation then upon reaching one limit, the sequence continues from the opposite limit giving the appearance of continuous rotation around and around the object.
Dragging vertically displays a sequence of views of the object from angles where the value of the colatitude coordinate varies and stops rotation at an upper limit and a lower limit such that the object always appears right-side-up.
Dragging in a diagonal direction varies the values of both longitude and colatitude coordinates, as one would expect.
There remains a need to improve the user experience by providing both 360 degree rotation where the value of the longitude coordinate varies, and extended rotation where the value of the colatitude coordinate varies such that the object is able to be displayed up-side-down, right-side-up, as well as around and around at the same time.
There remains a second need to improve the user experience by sharpening the image of the object after the rotation is complete or the user performing an additional action.
There remains a third need to improve the user experience of 3d numeric models by increasing the quality or realism of the 3d numeric model after the user completes a rotation operation, after the user pauses a rotation operation, after the user zooms in, or the user performing an additional action.